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Outdoor Dust

Outdoor dust is common where soil has been disturbed. Weather conditions, the natural environment, and human activities can cause windblown, construction, or fugitive dust which contributes to air pollution. High winds can raise large amounts of dust from areas of dry, loose, or disturbed soil.

Outdoor dust can come from:

• Windblown dust
• Tilled, harvested, and fallow farm fields
• Natural areas during highest winds
• Construction dust
• While work is underway
• Cleared and vacant land
• Fugitive dust
• Paved and unpaved roads
• Activities on vacant land or disturbed areas
• Unpaved parking lots and equipment yards
• Military training exercises

Contents

• Your health and outdoor dust
• What we are doing about outdoor dust issues
• What is an 'Exceptional Event'?
• Other Information

Your Health and Outdoor Dust

Why is outdoor dust a health issue?

Dust is made up of tiny particles (particulate matter.) The smallest particles, known as PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 depending on their size, are too small to be filtered out by your nose and your body's other natural defense systems. The dust can be breathed deep into your lungs where they cause increased problems with:

• lung irritation
• emphysema
• asthma
• chronic bronchitis
• cancer
• heart disease
• allergic reactions
• other serious conditions that can lead to death

Who should take special precautions?

Breathing too much dust can potentially harm anyone. However, the following groups are at the highest risk:

• Infants, children, teens, the elderly, and pregnant women
• People with asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, or other respiratory conditions
• People with heart disease
• Healthy adults working or exercising outdoors (for example, agricultural workers, construction workers, and runners)

What can I do to protect myself and others?

Since the small dust particles are the most harmful, the best precaution is simply to avoid going outside when there is a lot of dust in the air. If you must go out, spend as little time outside as possible, and avoid hard exercise. Wearing some type of covering over your nose and mouth can provide some protection from larger particles. If you see a lot of dust, staying out of it is the best protection.

What we are doing about outdoor dust issues:

• Air quality is monitored for dust in many areas of Washington.
• The National Weather Service announces high wind warnings.
• Air Agencies enforce rules that require dust control.
• Farmers help by using practices that stabilize their fields to preserve soil and keep dirt from leaving their farms.

Throughout Washington monitors track air quality to find out if areas meet national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS.) The federal Clean Air Act requires EPA to review NAAQS every 5 years to make sure the standards protect human health and the environment. The standards must protect groups of people who are most at risk from the pollution.

Outdoor dust occurs throughout Washington State, but in dry areas like eastern Washington, dust is a significant air pollution problem. If you live in eastern Washington, you have probably experienced windblown dust storms. From spring through fall, high winds in the Columbia Plateau region can combine with dry weather conditions to disturb farm fields, resulting in dust storms. These dust storms can lead to extremely high levels of particle air pollution. These dust storms are an example of when an "exception event" can be called.

What is an 'Exceptional Event' (also called a 'Natural Event')?

An exceptional event is an unusual or naturally occurring event that can affect air quality but is not reasonably controllable. Under air pollution laws, exceptional events are regulated differently than other sources of air pollution For example, if a storm causes monitor readings to go over the federal limit and EPA agrees the reading was beyond our control, the high reading may be considered an exceptional event. The high reading then would not count when determining if an area meets the NAAQS standard.

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Other Information:

• Dust storm information for news media
• Windblown Dust Brochure - Health Effects of Windblown Dust
• Dust Control Measures
• Controlling Air Pollution - Aggregate Industry
• Techniques for Dust Prevention and Suppression
• Focus on Air Quality and Construction Projects

For further information on Dust Control please contact your Local Clean Air Agency

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